Speaker, Artist, and Educator
What would your perfect day look like? What would it need to include?
It’s fun to think about a perfect day, but of course, we realize, a perfect day isn’t really possible. Still, how great would it be if your day included most of these qualities you listed? Half? Some? It would still be an incredible day, right?
I wonder how many of us aren’t even hitting one of these per day? Why is that? I’m guessing it’s because we didn’t make time for it and plan it into our day. Continue Reading…
The starting point of anything can be a little intimidating, especially if it’s your first time.
If it’s a race, you might compare yourself to other runners, question the course, or start predicting what could go wrong. If it’s a financial goal, your initial deposit may look so minuscule in comparison to the total amount needed that you begin to second guess even starting.
Goals, resolutions, and habits are what transform us and bring out the best in us, but they really don’t need to be complex and stressful. They need to be fun and engaging.
Run your race, not the guy’s next to you. Plan your financial portfolio, not your coworkers’. Create your plan and personalize your goals with your life.
A new year, a birthday, the start of the month, even the first day of the week can provide us with an opportunity to begin something new, begin something needed, and chart a new course. It’s nice to have those clean-slate moments on the calendar. Embrace them. Use them to your advantage! It’s also important to remember, any time is a good time to start something worthwhile.
Nothing is more important than the return. Nothing.
There is a wonderful Japanese proverb that captures the importance of ‘the return’ quite simply: ”Fall down seven times, get up eight.”
Going for a run is easily accomplished. Waking up the next day sore and tired and choosing to run again is a bit more of a Continue Reading…
What Makes a Good Goal?
Some people seem to achieve goals regularly and are continually climbing their way toward a better life. Still, others fail repeatedly and seem stuck in a rut.
A good goal is structured and planned in a way to be more likely achieved.
Achieving goals isn’t a matter of chance, there is a methodology anyone can apply to get better results.
Here Are Six Questions to Ask Yourself When Setting Goals:
Escape velocity is described as the speed an object needs to be traveling in order break free of a planet’s gravitational force. On Earth, escape velocity is seven miles a second, or 25,000 miles an hour. That’s fast. The good news is, that once an object reaches escape velocity it no longer requires further propulsion. If the object fails to reach this speed, consequently, it is pulled back.
For a long time the science community believed escape velocity was unobtainable. That nothing would ever leave Earth’s atmosphere. Now, you and I benefit from the thousands of man-made satellites orbiting our earth. They allow us to communicate, prepare for weather, direct our course and more. Escape velocity achieved. Benefits obtained.
Right now you are sitting with a cold-blooded killer with a similar hold on you. Stress. Continue Reading…
You’re Blowing it!
It’s not procrastination. That sounds too sophisticated.
You’re not stalling. That’s just too nice.
You’re blowing it! You are about to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity because you are more interested in reading your Twitter Feed or updating your current Facebook status.
Life is short and we all have goals and dreams. We work toward them or we don’t. When we don’t achieve our dreams we make excuses and cover up our inaction with niceties. We act like we will eventually get there and that everything is going to be fine.
Well, what if you’re wrong? Live your life without regrets and get your dreams on the production line.
We write down the groceries we need, gifts to buy at the mall, doctors’ appointments, to-do lists, recipes, directions, car maintenance appointments, and other things we deem important.
We compose emails, texts, Twitter posts, blogs, and we update our Facebook status with regularity.
Yet, most people choose not to write down their goals, their resolutions, or what they want to accomplish for the year, yet alone their life. They fail to design a plan, or even make a list of where they’d like to go, what they’d they like to have, who they’d like to help, or the person they’d like to become, and then they’re frequently disappointed when life doesn’t deliver their dreams and wishes.
Writing down our goals and resolutions matters. Follow the recipe to create the dish, arrive at the location, assemble the product, complete the course. It really is that simple.
Run one more mile.
Eat one less donut.
Call your mom one more time each month.
Stay off Facebook one entire day.
Write one more page.
Buy one less extra.
It all comes down to one more or one less to make a significant difference. Use some consistency each day, each week, each month, and you will really see progress.
Resolutions don’t have to be huge they need to be consistent. Simple actions compounded can create some dramatic changes.
Imagine weighing twelve pounds less than you do right now this time next year. All it would take is a pound a month and some consistency. The same principles can be applied to your finances, projects, goals, and dreams.
Good luck.
Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and keynote speaker.
He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation
including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,
and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.
Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.
1-800-831-4825
The new year offers each of us an opportunity to renew and refresh our lives. It can provide us with an opportunity to look forward and plan new adventures, new goals, and imagine new possibilities. It allows us to forgive ourselves for past mistakes and imagine a new life.
Yes, we can do this at any time in the year, it doesn’t have to be the first of January, but when the calendar turns to a new year there is a genuine feeling of renewal; it is like hitting the reset button on a computer game, or buying a new car.
Many people dismiss the idea of making a resolution. They believe resolutions are a waste of time. And for many it is, because they approach it the wrong way. I see it quite differently. To me resolutions are a part of my life plan. They provide me with direction and purpose.
Should you create a list of resolutions? No question about it. Absolutely! Just make it a “resolution” not something less. A resolution by definition means unwavering. It all comes down to word choice.
For most, it’s not a resolution, it’s a wish. Here are the things I’d like to have happen, but I don’t really want to put anything into it.
A resolution is far different. Here is what I resolve to accomplish. I won’t let anything stand in my way. This is the person I am committed to becoming.
What if I fail? Oh, you will fail, and plenty of times. The person who made a wish quits, and the person who made a resolution tries again. On the same date the following year, everyone that made a resolution is in many ways better off, and those that made wishes are at the same place, or sadly more often worse.
The consistency and discipline needed to
The world is filled with admirers of Steve Jobs, and rightfully so. The man was an incredible visionary, innovator, speaker, businessman, leader, and communicator. His impact has left little untouched. One overlooked talent though, was his use of simple language to convey his passion for a product or service. How many times did we hear him say, “insanely great, phenomenal, awesome, revolutionary, amazing, and of course magical?”
His word choice was in sync with his passion for minimalism in design and the simple elegance of his presentation. Uncomplicated. Straightforward. Direct. Powerful. The advertisements, stores, packaging, and even his dress embodied this motif.
He chose simple words, but words powerful in their connotations. They were chosen with care. They were delivered with passion. They told a story.
My favorite term Jobs used was when he called someone or their idea a Bozo.
Bozo was a term Steve would use to describe someone that just didn’t get it. A bozo to him was someone that was more interested in the bureaucracy of business rather than innovation. A bozo was someone that was ineffective and someone that wasn’t authentic. A bozo was someone who focused on what wasn’t important. Basically a bozo was anyone Steve didn’t respect.
I recently read an article though about his use of the term bozo at NeXt. According to NeXt employees, you could go from bozo to genius in months if you eventually got it and performed. (Better yet, outperformed.) And I am sure you could probably drop back down again too.
Many think Steve burned bridges, but I don’t think that is the case at all. Sure, he was competitive and occasionally became upset, but I still remember the shock I had, and later conceded to the brilliance of his move, when he partnered Apple with Microsoft. When you consider all of the deals he made with the record industry, artists, television companies, and publishers, you realize he built far more bridges than he ever burned.
Steve Jobs had standards, incredibly high ones, for himself, his staff, and the corporations he created. The results speak for themselves. Bozos either don’t have standards or they break them. Bozos lack vision or don’t follow it. Bozos place business over delivering a quality service or product.
Don’t want Steve Jobs to think you are a bozo? Do the following:
These are just my observations of a man I never met, but a man who impacted my life more than most of those whom I have.
I will work hard not to be a bozo.
Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker.
He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation
including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,
and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.
Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.
www.kellycroy.com
1-800-831-4825
